Designed for both studio recording and live sound, the StudioLive offers an array of inputs and outputs. There are 16 mic inputs with XLRs, and each channel has 1/4-inch TRS balanced line inputs and insert points. Four Subgroup outputs and six Aux bus inputs and outputs are also on 1/4-inch balanced jacks, and the main outputs are on both XLR and 1/4-inch TRS jacks, along with a 1/4-inch mono output. Stereo tape sends and returns are on RCA jacks. Additionally, the mixer includes a mic input for the talkback channel, 1/4-inch control-room outputs, a 1/4-inch headphone jack, and coax S/PDIF digital outputs.

The StudioLive 16.4.2 also serves as a dual-port FireWire audio interface that can route all channels and buses to and from a computer (Mac/Win). Its QuickTouch design allows for fast access to every parameter, mix, effect, and aux bus. All mixing is done with high-headroom, 32-bit floating-point processing, which eliminates digital clipping. In addition, the mixer works with any ASIO-compliant audio application.

The unit comes bundled with PreSonus Capture (Mac/Win) recording software, which is preconfigured to record with the StudioLive, with all mixer channels correctly routed to Capture tracks. Launch the software, open a new session, click once to arm all tracks, click on Record, and then you're all set to capture the audio from all 16 channels and the stereo bus.